CHAPTER XII.

FUNERALS.

THE mourning ceremonies of the Chinese are very numerous, and vary of course according to the rank and condition of the deceased. When the time of dissolution evidently draws near, it is usual, in the case of a male member of the family, to remove him to the atrium of the house to die. Here, placed upon a bed of boards supported on tressels, and with his feet towards the door, he remains to take his last departure. It is also usual for the nearest relative to arrange the best robes of the dying man on the couch beside him, in order that just before he dies his body may be arrayed in them. The cap or hat is placed on the pillow, the tunic or coat by the side of the body, the trousers by the side of the legs, and a boot by the side of each foot. The sufferer will regard a proceeding of this nature with the utmost composure, and may sometimes be heard to express gratitude for having such apparel to appear in before the spirits of his departed ancestors. As soon as the last struggle is anticipated, he is washed with warm water in which fragrant leaves, generally those of the pomeloe tree, have been boiled. The clothes are then put on him. Death, it need scarcely be said, is often hastened by this singular practice. The eyes of the deceased are closed by his nearest relative, in order, I suppose, that the corpse may assume a less ghastly appearance. According to Virgil (Æneid, ix. 487) and Ovid (Her. i. 102, 111; ii. 102; x. 120), a custom very similar to this was observed by people of other lands. When closing the eyes of the deceased,

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DEATH-BED RITES.

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the relative calls upon him by name, and addresses him very much to the following effect:-"Be not thou sorry on leaving us; thou hast gone to bliss, and we thy relatives hope to confer upon thee posthumous honours, by being ourselves through thy good influences prosperous upon earth." Shortly after death, a functionary called the Nam-mo-loo, generally a priest of the sect of Taou is called in. The Nam-mo-loo, calls upon one of the spirits for each Chinese is supposed to be animated by three spirits to quit the corpse and hasten to Elysium. The prayer which he chants, is termed Hoi-Loo, or open the way. He next casts the horoscope of the deceased, and informs the relatives how far the spirit has ascended towards Elysium, when it will return on a visit to them, and what form it will assume in another state of existence. If they are assured that it will animate the form of a man, they greatly rejoice; if that of a beast or reptile, they grieve and offer up intercessory prayers to the gods, celebrate masses, and present offerings of gold and silver paper, folded up so as to resemble ingots of silver and gold. If the deceased has been a person of consequence, a porch consisting of a framework of bamboo poles covered with matting is erected above the entrance door of the house. From the centre of the porch is suspended a large bunch of strips of blue and white paper. This is to prevent casual visitors from entering the house of mourning, and becoming in consequence unclean. It would appear from Horace (Od. ii. 14, 23), and other ancient writers, that a custom not very unlike this was observed by the ancient Romans. A cypress branch was placed above the door of the house of mourning to prevent the high priest from entering and incurring ceremonial pollution. Should a person die unexpectedly, or before his relatives have had time to dress him in his best robes, the next-of-kin attires himself in sackcloth, and hastens to the nearest river or well to buy from the Hoi-Loong Wong or River Dragon King water wherewith to wash the face and body of the deceased. Four cash, and in some instances a live fish as well, are cast into the stream by way of payment. The fish is supposed to inform the river god that the water has been bought and paid for. The nearest of kin is accompanied to the well or river by several friends, two of whom

support him, one on each side, for he is supposed to be bowed down with grief. The procession is headed by two or more minstrels, the discordant sounds of whose musical instruments cannot easily be forgotten by one who has once heard them. The face and body of the deceased are sprinkled rather than washed with the water, the rite implying not so much the cleansing of the body, as the washing away of sin. A few hired attendants belonging to a pariah class called Ng' Tsock,1 next proceed to undress the corpse with the view of bathing it with warm water (cf. Virg. Æn., vi. 219; Plin. Epist. v. 16) and dressing it in robes becoming the rank of the deceased. Whilst the Ng' Tsock are attiring the corpse, all the members of the family either stand or kneel around the couch upon which the dead body is placed. Women enceinte are not permitted to be present.

Upon the corpse of a person, who was of the first, second, or third rank, three silk dresses are placed. A rank lower than the fifth entitles the deceased to only two silk dresses. Whilst each dress is being placed upon the body, two men stationed near it beat gongs. The cakes of rice flour which had previously been placed on the ground, at the foot of the couch as offerings, are thrown aside during the dressing of the corpse as of no further service. They are afterwards eaten by the persons who dress the corpse, or are picked up by beggars, who on such occasions station themselves in eager expectation at the door. On one occasion I saw a poor half-starved wretch rush into the outer hall of a house where a corpse was being attired. He was anxious to get the cakes, but one of the Ng' Tsock who had all along been keeping his eye upon them, sprang forward, and, to the great consternation of the mourners, knocked the beggar down.

When the corpse has been placed in the coffin, one of the pariah class proceeds to each corner of the chamber, and beats the floor with a large hammer, to terrify evil spirits. If the

1 So degraded is the position of the Ng' Tsock as to deprive them of the rights of worshipping in the public temples; and their sons are not allowed to become candidates for literary degrees. They resemble in many respects the pollinctores of the ancient Romans.